Sick Week road automotive occasion sells out for second straight season

The quickest and quickest road automobiles on this planet will as soon as once more be on show as Sick Week introduced by Gear Distributors Overdrive and is ready to look at NHRA member tracks in Florida and Georgia from Feb. 12-17.

The favored drag-and-drive occasion contains a sequence of drag racing occasions held on consecutive days, the place the rivals should drive the identical street-legal automotive from observe to trace. There are not any transporters or assist groups permitted, solely what they will tow behind them on a small, single-axle trailer. Opponents should make at the least one run per day and observe a predetermined route from observe to trace with test factors alongside the best way.

Final yr, Sweden’s Stefan Gustafsson accomplished the week with a mean elapsed time of 6.677 seconds in his turbocharged Corvette to win general honors. Greater than 350 autos are anticipated to take part and compete for trophies in all kinds of courses. The occasion additionally attracts a lot of well-known media personalities and influencers, together with Cleetus McFarland, Alex Taylor, and Mike Finnegan.

Half drag racing occasion and half automotive present, Sick Week offers a singular expertise for spectators, who can watch the motion on observe earlier than following their favourite racer on the open highway and the checkpoints which are arrange alongside the route.

Sick Week was created by Tom Bailey, one in every of drag-and-drive’s most well-known names. Bailey is a five-time winner of Sizzling Rod Drag Week, the unique drag-and-drive occasion, and the proprietor of the world’s quickest road automotive — the Sick Seconds 2.0 Camaro. Bailey has run as fast as 5.99 seconds and run greater than 250 mph.

“Everybody had a good time on the first Sick Week, apart from me,” laughed Bailey. “[My car] broke on the primary day after which my son, Aydan crashed on the final day, however every part in between that was a blast. The quantity of smiles you see from racers cruising between the tracks or setting data was superior and made us understand we had one thing particular.

“The problem for the 2023 occasion is how can we step up? We’ve bought some concepts, and we wish to be sure that this yr has its personal really feel. Every occasion needs to be particular and memorable in its personal manner.”

Bailey mentioned the drag-and-drive scene has exploded in reputation within the final two years, as an increasing number of racers construct automobiles particularly for the area of interest.

“I feel individuals have realized that constructing a drag-and-drive automotive offers you loads of bang for buck,” Bailey mentioned. “You don’t must be confined to race occasions to make use of your car, and you may convey your family and friends alongside for the trip. We’re even seeing NHRA racers like Larry Dixon and Clay Millican participating now, as a result of they’ve seen simply how a lot enjoyable it may be.

“Our sponsors like Gear Distributors Overdrive and Movement Raceworks are driving us to create an increasing number of occasions — clearly the extra automobiles which are getting constructed, the extra elements they will promote.”

Final yr’s first occasion was, by all measures, successful. Competitor entries offered out in below three minutes and the Movement Raceworks Stay Stream featured greater than 100,000 viewers every day. YouTube movies amassed greater than 18,000,000 views within the weeks afterward due to the presence of huge names corresponding to Cleetus McFarland, PFI Pace, Alex Taylor, and 1320 Video.

The occasion visited NHRA member tracks Bradenton Motorsports Park, Orlando Pace World Dragway, Gainesville Raceway, and South Georgia Motorsports Park.

This yr, the occasion has as soon as once more already offered out to racers, though the Peak Sick Ward possibility remains to be out there for individuals who want to cruise for the week.

This yr’s occasion will begin at Orlando Pace World Dragway for testing on Feb. 12 after which the primary day of competitors on Feb. 13, earlier than heading to Bradenton Motorsports Park (Feb. 14), South Georgia Motorsports Park (Feb. 15), Gainesville Raceway (Feb. 16), after which again to Orlando (Feb. 17).

Extra details about Sick Week is accessible at www.sickthemagazine.com/sick-week